Wife of Israel Prime Minister Charged for Misuse of $100,000 for Gourmet Meals

Wife of Israel Prime Minister Charged for Misuse of $100,000 for Gourmet Meals

The wife of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu was charged with misusing nearly $100,000 (NIS 359,000) of public funds to pay for restaurant meals delivered to the couple’s official residence. Between 2010 to 2013, she had fraudulently obtained nearly $100,000 (NIS 359,000) from the state for food orders from gourmet restaurants. Her trial is set to start on 19th Jul 2018.

Under state regulations, cooks are available at the Prime Minister’s Residence. The regulations prohibit food catering if a cook is employed at the home of the Prime Minister. If cooks are not employed, the PM’s family is permitted to order external meals at a cap of $57 (NIS 200) per person. The prosecution also charged Ezra Seidoff, the ex-Prime Minister’s Office deputy director-general, for the same offence amounting to more than $100,000 (NIS 393,000) for food orders from gourmet restaurants.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since 2009, is serving his 4th term in office. He has been suspected of crimes involving fraud, breach of trust and bribes in cases “1000” and “2000” since January 2017. In “Case 1000”, Netanyahu is alleged to have accepted gifts including champagne, cigars, jewellery and clothing worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy businessmen. In return, he will offer his benefactors assistance in getting visa, permanent residency and tax status in Israel. In “Case 2000”, he is alleged to have tried to strike a deal with the country’s second-largest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth to provide positive coverage to stay in power.